This is an application for a new two-year postdoctoral training program in cancer research and more specifically in the development of new cancer agents, at the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center, an NCI designated comprehensive cancer center. The 16 faculty members come from the departments of Medicine, Pathology, Surgery, and Pharmacology within the medical school and the Skaggs UCSD School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Each faculty mentor is a participating member of the Cancer Center, having peer reviewed cancer or cancer-related research funding. This program is well integrated into the other cancer related activities of the Caner Center and of UCSD. The goal is to recruit and maintain 8 MD and PhD scientists in this two year program for careers in academic cancer research, with an emphasis on translational research targeted at developmental therapeutics. Trainees will be required to take courses through the medical school managed and NIH funded CREST program;a lecture series coordinated by this training program, Cancer Center and departmental seminars, a journal club for the trainees, and regularly scheduled conferences to expand their cancer research training and perspectives. All of the participating faculty are conducting translational research and have been selected because of their interest in new cancer therapeutics. This program will employ related NCI grant projects including a U56 planning grant for a cancer center/minority institution partnership program in cancer disparities, as well as a pending U54 grant application for an Academic Public, Private Partnership Program (AP4). It will also employ the recently opened Moores Cancer Center building, a 270,000 sf state of the art multi-use structure combining clinical care with basic and prevention research. Methods are in place to ensure that all trainees are properly instructed in the principles of responsible conduct of research and scientific integrity. MD fellows who are interested in academic research related to cancer, and committed to at least two years of research training will be recruited from the Hematology/Oncology, Surgery and Radiology fellowship programs here at UCSD as well as nationwide. PhD applicants come to us from within UCSD and from other research universities with strong backgrounds in biology, biochemistry, chemistry and molecular or cellular biology, and choose to develop their skills related to developing new cancer therapeutics. Special efforts will be made through our partnership grant and other vehicles to recruit and retain exceptional minority and women candidates to the program.